Posted 8/2/2012 3:16 PM (GMT -5)
It isn't really a side effect of antibiotics, it is the result of taking them, however.
When the antibiotics (or herbal treatments) kill off the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, there are lots of toxins released. If more toxins are released at one time than the body can get rid of it causes an increase in symptoms and a type of auto-immune response.
As the body copes with the toxins, everything settles down. Some people are genetically less able to get rid of toxins, so they suffer more reactions like this and take longer to get over them.
The herx reaction can be as mild as a "touch of the flu" or strong enough to land a person in hospital.
Many doctors and natural practitioners, in particular, feel that is neither necessary or desirable to go through strong herxes. It is possible to get well by ramping up the medicines slowly and employing detox practices to lessen the reaction.
Hope this helps.